


We're Connected

by orphan_account



Series: Peter and the Tower [17]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Awesome Michelle Jones, BAMF Michelle Jones, F/M, Fluff, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener is a Good Bro, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Anxiety, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Michelle Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:50:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20445161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Harley moves to the tower; unfortunately for him, Peter's having a bad day.





	We're Connected

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! Your support is unreal, thank you so much! Enjoy!

Bonnie Keener didn’t know what to do. Her son, Harley, was at the beginning of his senior year of high school, but there was one problem. He was failing all of his classes. Every. Single. One. And it wasn’t that he wasn’t smart. No, that boy was brilliant. He had gotten a perfect score on his PSAT and loved to build things. He just simply hated the school he went to.

Harley was bored. He never got challenged, and he thought all his teachers were dumber than him (he was probably right). Why would he do their stupid busywork? He didn’t care about grades, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to waste his time. He just wanted to _ learn _and be in an environment that allowed him to experiment and grow. 

That’s how Bonnie ended up sitting at her dining room table, phone in hand, and staring at the screen, contemplating. She took a deep breath and pressed the call button. She waited for a moment as it rang.

“Mrs. Keener? What a pleasant surprise!” Tony’s voice called over the phone. Bonnie smiled at his friendliness and shook her head. Everyone got him wrong.

“Now, Tony. What have I told you? It’s Bonnie, please,” She said with a laugh. He laughed too.

“Right, sorry. What’s up?”

“I need your advice. See Harley… Harley is a brilliant boy,” She started.

“Naturally.”

“But, you see, he ain’t being challenged at his high school.” She said with a sigh. “He hates it there and feels like it’s a waste of his time. He’s such a good boy, but I’m really struggling with a way to keep him in school.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. “Okay, before you say no, hear me out.” 

A sentence that started that way was never good.

“What if… what if Harley came to New York and went to Midtown High. He could live at the tower too. My other kid goes to Midtown and he loves it. Peter is extremely intelligent and yet the school has never made him bored. It’s also focused around science and technology, which Harley loves.”

“New York?! Tony, that’s so far away!” Bonnie exclaimed.

“I know. You should do what you think is right for Harley. Just… think about it, okay? Call me back in a few days,” Tony said. 

“Okay, I will. Bye Tony.”

Bonnie hung up and dropped her head into her hands. What kind of decision was this? They could all move to New York, but no the Keeners’ entire life was in Tennessee. Bonnie loved her job and Abby loved her school and friends. It wasn’t fair to sacrifice their lives for his.

She also didn’t want to part from her baby, but she refused to hold him back amazing opportunities. She walked to Harley’s shed and opened the door. Inside, he was bopping to some tunes and working on a little piece of tech. 

She cleared her throat loudly to alert him. He turned around in his chair and his face broke into a large grin.

“Hey, Mom! Come look at this! It’s a small nanotech toy! It wrapped around your finger and turns different textures when you rub it! It’s meant for ADHD and nervous ticks. I call it the Chill A Little aka CAL,” Harley demonstrated proudly. As his words said, it wrapped around a finger and started molding into different textures. Bonnie thought it was amazing. 

“It’s also subtle enough that teachers won’t yell at you and take it,” he added with a smile. 

“That’s great, honey,” Bonnie said as she pressed a kiss to Harley’s forehead. He beamed at her approval and she sat on a chair laying around. “So, I have something important to talk about with you, darlin.”

She told him of Tony’s proposition. She watched the emotions appear on his face: confusion, happiness, excitement, and sadness when he realized what it meant.

“You and Abby wouldn’t come with me… would you?” He asked in a quiet voice. Bonnie shook her head sadly as a single tear rolled down her face.

“No, no we won’t.”

Harley nodded, processing his choices. Bonnie reached out and grabbed his face gently. “Honey, I want you to go. New York is where you need to be. You’re not going to find the same opportunities here. Abby and I will support you in every way we can,” Bonnie said with a smile.

Harley looked up at her, shocked. He nodded his head furiously and lunged into her arms.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you so much,” Harley said as squeezed her tightly. She hugged him back and they began talking about what he would do in New York, both extremely excited.

3 days later…

Tony was waiting at the airport for Harley. The kid had insisted he flies regular, not private, so there Tony was, in a baggy sweatshirt, sunglasses, and a cap. Harley emerged, with a small carry on bag and his backpack. Tony grinned and waved wildly at the boy.

Harley looked up and smiled when he saw Tony. Harley ran to him and Tony engulfed the boy in a hug. They held on tightly, this has been the first time they have seen each other in person in a good 2 years. 

“Hey, Harley! I know… you must have missed me,” Tony joked.

“In your dreams, old man!” Harley laughed. They parted from the hug and Tony slung an arm around Harley, leading him to the car. They talked the entire ride to the tower.

“Harley, there is something I need to tell you before we get to the tower,” Tony said.

“What’s up?”

“Well, you aren’t the only kid living with us. We have another, Peter. He’s 16 and just a little ball of sunshine and anxiety. Please be nice to him.”

Harley laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, I will.”

“Good. And also, he’s Spiderman.”

“I’m sorry, he’s wha-”

At the tower… 

Tony skipped the full tower tour, Peter could do that, plus it would make the boys bond. They arrived on the personal floor and Tony gestured to the space.

“Ta-da! Welcome to our lovely little penthouse! Your room is down the hall, next to Peter’s, and we already have most of your stuff set up in there!” 

Harley grinned and stretched his arms out. “Eh, needs a little work.” He joked. 

Tony shot him a look of betrayal. “Excuse me, my home is perfect.”

“Whatever, old man.”

Suddenly, Peter stepped out of his room, closing the door quietly behind him. His long pajamas dragged on the floor and his oversized shirt, definitely one of Tony's old ones, hung on him loosely. He hadn’t noticed the other two yet, who were watching him with identical grins on his face, trying to stiff their laughter.

Peter continued walking and in his sleepy state, bumped into a wall. They heard him murmur a small apology and continue. He got to the kitchen and reached around blindly for the cabinet before pulling out a cup. He filled it with water and began walking back to his room. Tony crept up behind the boy and tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, Petey,” Tony whispered as he laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Peter looked back blearily and a small smile appeared on his face. 

“Missed you,” Peter said, barely audible. He turned to face the man and pressed himself into Tony’s chest. Tony kissed Peter’s forehead and wrapped his arms around the boy.

“Petey, we have a guest,” Tony whispered to Peter. Peter opened his eyes and turned around. Harley gave him a small wave and Peter absolutely froze. 

“Hey, I’m Harley.”

“Dad,” Peter choked out. Tony looked at him in concern. 

“You okay, bud?”

Peter didn’t respond but dropped the water he was holding, lurched out of Tony’s grip, and ran back to his room, closing the door quickly behind him. The glass shattered on the floor and Tony cursed before quickly cleaning it. Harley looked at Tony in confusion.

“Did I do something wrong?” Harley asked. Tony shook his head, gazing down the hall in confusion. He grabbed a walkie off the counter and turned it on.

“Hey Josie, switch to channel 5.”

“What do you need, Tony?” Josie asked.

“Has Peter been off today?”

“Yea he has actually, his anxiety has been off the walls. He’s having a really hard time dealing with people, even the LDs, all day. We tried to keep an eye on him on Omri, but he couldn’t handle being around everyone and was having a hard time breathing. MJ came down, grabbed him, and took him up to his room. About an hour ago, MJ radioed that he was asleep.”

“Okay thanks, Josie.”

“Anytime. Keep me updated.”

“Will do.”

Tony turned off the walkie and set it back down. He rubbed the back of his neck and shot Harley an uneasy smile. “Why don’t we go work in the lab?”

Harley bit his lip and looked to where Peter’s door was. “Is he going to be okay?”  


“Yea, he’ll be fine. MJ’s taking care of him.”

“Who’s that?” Harley asked. Tony just laughed as the duo stepped into the elevator.

That night… 

Harley and Tony worked in the lab for a good 4 hours before heading back up to the floor. They entered, talking quite loudly about what improvements they could make to the iron man suit, but immediately stopped when someone shushed them. 

The pair looked up and saw Peter wearily glaring at them. He looked back at the TV, which was playing a random Disney movie, and rested his cheek on MJ’s head. Harley and Tony walked closer to see why he had shushed them. 

They peeked over and saw MJ sleeping against Peter. Her legs were sprawled over his and she clung closely to his chest. A large, fluffy blanket covered the bottom half of them. Peter looked drained, probably emotional, as he breathed steadily and gently rubbed her arm. 

Tony and Harley sat on the couch next to them, quietly as possible, and began watching the movie as well. The boys kept glancing over to the couple. It was easy to spot Peter’s breath was steadily increasing and he unconsciously gripped MJ tighter while simultaneously shrinking into her.

Harley made a move to get up and leave, but Tony grabbed his arm and shook his head. Peter would be okay. Harley looked unsurely at Tony, and then back at Peter.

‘Watch’ Tony signed subtly. Most of the Avengers and family could sign because of Clint. Harley had learned because his Aunt was deaf. Harley nodded.

Peter continues to get progressively worse when suddenly MJ moved slightly. She shifted and Peter froze, hoping he didn’t wake her. Alas, his hope was for nothing. MJ opened her eyes and studied her boyfriend’s face. 

He absolutely refused to look at her, and she grabbed his hand.

“Squeeze,” she requested. He did so and held the squeeze like they always did, and then released, taking a breath along the way. MJ glanced at Tony and Harley and then rolled her eyes. God damn people always working her boyfriend up. She turned her attention back to the boy, who still looked straight ahead. She settled back against him.

“Squeeze.” She commanded again. They repeated the process over and over until Peter’s breathing was finally back under control. Both were tired but managed to stay awake, knowing that dinner was soon.

“Do you want to make dinner for everyone tonight? They definitely don’t deserve it, but hey, we can be nice,” MJ whispered to Peter. Peter huffed out a small laugh and nodded. 

MJ stood from her seat on the couch. “Stark. Peter and I are making dinner. We are making-“

She looked at Peter for an answer.

“Spaghetti,” He said in a small voice as he also stood, not sparing a glance at Tony and Harley, and headed to the kitchen.

“There you go. Spaghetti.” She repeated.

“Okay, sounds good,” Tony nodded. “We will be having a discussion tonight.”

“No doubt.” She replied easily as she walked by him and into the kitchen. Harley turned to Tony. “MJ is a badass.”

Tony chuckled and leaned into the couch. “Kid, you have seen nothing yet. Speaking of, your internship starts on Monday. Peter will give you a tour of the tower.”

Harley raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’s a good idea, Tony?”

Tony nodded. “Yep! He’ll be fine.”

Harley shrugged. “Whatever you say, mechanic.”

Harley and Tony continued conversing until they got to the topic of nanotech. Harley pulled out his CAL and showed it to Tony. Tony immediately grabbed it and began examining it in detail and wonder.

“Wow kid, this is amazing! Peter would die of happiness if he ever got one of those.” Tony said as he played with it.

“Then let's make him one.”

Tony grinned and bumped Harley’s shoulder. “Already wrapped around his finger?”

Harley gawked. “Um no! I’m just being a nice person!”

Suddenly Peter giggles extremely loud, catching both of their attention. MJ had put a noodle under her nose and it somehow stuck. She had a noodle mustache and Peter was literally losing it. The best part was, she pretended she didn’t notice and would ask him what was so funny and to stop laughing at her. That only made him laugh harder.

She went to kiss him and he leaped away, trying to escape getting sauce all over his face. Unfortunately for him, MJ won and rubbed her face all over his, getting sauce _ everywhere. _It was glorious.

Tony looked at them, amused and then said to Harley. “Sure, kid. It’s only a matter of time. He gets us all.” 

Tony said it casually but there was a real look of seriousness and horror in his face. 

“Boys! Set the table! We are almost done and Pepper will be down in 5!” MJ called from the kitchen. The pair stood and moved over to get silverware. They were quick, and by the time they finished, Pepper was walking out of the elevator.

“Hey boys and MJ,” she greeted with a smile. “Harley! It’s good to see you!”

She opened her arms and pulled him into a tight hug. “I want to know everything that’s going on with you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Harley responded politely, making everyone roll their eyes. Pepper walked over to Peter and grabbed the sides of his face. He smiled weakly at her, closing his eyes as she pressed a firm and grounding kiss to his forehead.

“Let’s eat!” MJ said as she brought two big bowls of spaghetti to the table along with broccoli. “There is more of everything.”

They all sat, Peter, sitting between Pepper and MJ and directly across from Harley, who was sitting next to Tony. They all filled their plates. Grabbing the spoon, Peter only put a little bit on his plate. Pepper gracefully took it from him and dumped a huge portion onto his plate before smiling gently at him and filling her own. His shoulders dropped as he sunk lower into the chair. 

“So, Harley. Tony hasn’t told me why you’ve come out. Visiting?” Pepper asked as she took a bite of her food. 

Actually, I’m staying out here for a while. I’m going to be starting school at Midtown on Monday. Isn’t that where you guys go?” He asked MJ and Peter. MJ nodded as Peter not-so-discreetly choked on his spaghetti. The table turned to him, concerned, but Peter waved them off with his hand. 

“Well, I hope you like it there. It truly is a great school; Peter and MJ enjoy it very much!” Pepper said brightly. Harley grinned and took a bite of his pasta. He hummed happily as the warm taste entered his mouth. 

“Wow… this is really good,” Harley commented.

“Peter made the sauce,” MJ said without looking up. Blushing furiously, Peter shot her glare, but she who only smirked in victory. 

The conversation continued, talking about what classes Harley was taking and how he was going to start interning (Peter choked again). MJ then stepped in and told him what Peter and she did in the tower. Harley stayed interested throughout the whole thing, asking questions or commenting. MJ didn’t seem to hate him either, and that is always a plus.

Every now and then though, someone would have to gently nudge Peter and remind him to eat, to which he would look tiredly at his plate and take a small bite. The pestering continued for most of the meal, and all the occupants noticed Peter was getting irritated and fidgety. Harley reached across the table and placed the CAL in Peter's hand. 

"Put it on your finger," he whispered quietly, not wanting to gain the attention of the others. Peter examined him distrustfully before slowly picking it up and putting it on. Although his hand was now under the table, Harley could tell that Peter was discovering what he had just received. 

Peter's eyes widened and he gasped slightly as he stared down at it in amazement. The other three looked at him in curiosity. 

"You okay, honey?" Pepper asked him. 

Peter nodded rapidly a smile breaking onto his face. He shot Harley a grateful nod, to which Harley smiled back and continued eating. The rest of the meal went smoothly and Peter seemed much calmer; even taking a few bites of his food on his own. 

“Hey, Peanut, I was thinking that we could get some ice cream tonight. Just the two of us,” Harley said casually. Peter looked up in surprise, then shifted his eyes to Tony, asking for permission. Tony shot him a thumbs up and nod.

“Johnny’s Parlor?” Peter asked quietly.

“Sure, you probably know the best places in town.”

A small smile broke onto Peter’s face.

“You’re going to be okay?” Peter said to MJ as he grabbed her hand. She rolled her eyes.

“Of course, dweeb. I have work to do anyway.”

Peter gave her a genuine grin and kiss on the cheek before picking up his and Harley’s plates and throwing them in the sink.

Harley stood up and threw a coat over himself.

“You ready?” He asked Peter as the walked to the elevator. The other boy nodded and shyly grabbed his hand as the elevator door closed in front of them.

Harley’s mouth opened in shock and he looked at Peter, who was currently blushing madly and look at the floor. A fond grin rolled off Harley’s mouth as he gave Peter’s hand a squeeze. 

They headed out of the lobby, saying goodnight to Andrea first, and started walking to their location. It was only a block or two anyway.

“So, Peter, what makes Johnny’s so special?” Harley asked out of the blue. Peter smiled and a spark of excitement lit in his eyes.

“Well, Aunt May and I used to go there all the time before she, um, and all their flavors are classics but really good! My favorite is their cookies and cream, but they have vanilla, strawberry, rocky road…” 

Peter continued listing the flavors, counting them on his fingers as he went. Harley watched with happy eyes as the boy slowly came out of his anxious little shell. 

“So… how do you know Tony?” Peter asked quietly as they stepped into the parlor.

“He broke into my garage when I was a kid. We’re connected,” Harley said with a shrug. Peter looked at Harley strangely before a small giggle came from his mouth. He threw a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his laughter, which made Harley beam. 

They walked up to the counter. 

“Ah, Peter! It’s been too long!” The middle-aged worker behind the counter called, a smile appearing on his face. Peter rolled his eyes trying to hide his red cheeks.

“I was here last week, Mr. Delanio,” Peter said.

“That is too long! And Peter, please it’s Julian!” Julain declared already scooping ice cream into a cone. Harley noticed it was cookies and cream, Peter’s favorite. “And who is your friend?”

“This is Harley, he’s new to town.”

“Welcome! You look like a mint chip kinda guy,” Julian commented already scooping mint chip onto a cone. Harley looked at him, surprised.

“Um, yea, actually! How’d you know?” 

Julian smirked and handed Peter the ice cream cones. 

“He thinks you’re basic,” Peter stage whispered to Harley, making the other gasp. 

“Me? I am hurt!”

The trio laughed together as Harley started pulling money out of his pocket. 

“No, no, please. It’s on the house,” Julian said as pushed the money away.

“Are you sure?” Harley asked. No one was really this nice, right? 

Julian waved him off. “Anything for Peter and his friends.”

“Thank you, Mr. Delanio,” Peter said sincerely as he grabbed Harley’s arm and pulled him to a booth. The boys talked and shared stories as they ate their ice cream contently. Peter had to admit it was nice to have another friend, especially one who he would be spending a lot of time with. 

“Um, I feel like I should apologize… for earlier,” Peter started awkwardly as he ran his thumb over the CAL. 

“Don’t worry about it, Peanut. I understand,” Harley said casually as he licked his ice cream. 

“You do?” Peter blinked in surprise. Harley nodded, trying to keep his face passive but sadness haunted his eyes.

“Sure. I understand the anxiety. I get that way too, well not strictly that way, but in anxious moods.”

“Oh. Well, I guess we can start helping each other?” Peter asked cautiously. Harley blinked in confusion for a moment before smiling.

“Yeah, we can.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all liked it!


End file.
